Lessons from Romanian - Hungarian cross-border cooperation for EU membership candidate countries

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/NFHV3966

Abstract: The European Union, through its policies, programmes and instruments specific to cross-border cooperation provides member and candidate states funding aimed at supporting neighbouring border areas to implement projects that, through their results, would help underdeveloped areas achieve results that would improve their economic and social status. All these results should help balance out the level of development of the various regions of the European Union, while also increasing their quality of life.
The Romania - Hungarian border is a rich source of good practice examples, covering three long budget funding time frames. Some of these showed remarkable results, reflected through improved social, economic, educational, infrastructural indicators, to name a few. Out of the projects implemented at the Romanian – Hungarian border, funded through the European Regional Development Fund, we are focusing on a small group of projects that stand out through representativity and impact within this geographical area.
The objective of this paper is to offer expertise in the field of cross-border cooperation projects, reflected through relevant examples of good practice and lessons learned. This should provide a useful source of ideas and practices to be implemented in the near future in relevant border areas.